Axiomatic characterizations of dual concept lattices

Formal concept analysis is an algebraic model based on a Galois connection. It is used for symbolic knowledge exploration from an elementary form of a formal context. This paper mainly presents a general framework for concept lattice in which axiomatic approaches are used. The relationship between concept lattice and dual concept lattice is first studied. Based on set-theoretic operators, generalized concept systems are established. And properties of them are examined. By using axiomatic approaches, a pair of dual concept lattices is characterized by different sets of axioms. The connections between 0-1 binary relations and generalized concept systems are examined. And generalized dual concept systems can be constructed by a pair of dual set-theoretic operators. Axiomatic characterizations of the generalized concept systems guarantee the existence of a binary relation producing a formal context. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.